RUNNING SHOES GUIDE - FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

A comfortable running shoe is a shoe that fits, but finding one is not always easy. Since you spend a lot of time in your running shoes, it's worth the effort of getting to know your personal running style in order to find a pair of trainers that fit you perfectly. Consider the following:

1. INTENDED USE

Will you be road running, running on a purpose-built track or perhaps on a forest trail? All these surfaces require a different kind of shoe. Another basic distinction is between racing and training shoes.

2. PRONATION TYPE

Pronation is the term used for the way your foot rolls when you walk and run. Essentially, when buying any kind of sport shoe, you should know your pronation type first. Each shoe on the market is suitable for a specific type of pronation.

You can find out what your pronation type is by getting an expert gait analysis done for you – many specialist running retail stores will offer this service. Understand more about pronation in our easy-to-understand guide.

3. LENGTH OF THE SHOE

Keep an open mind with your shoe size and remember the following: The more you run, the more room you need

The further you run the more your foot will naturally expand. This means it's wise to have just a little extra room in your shoe.

4. WIDTH OF THE SHOE

The width of your shoe is equally as important as the length when it comes to a good fit. People are not always built in perfect proportion and often have wider or narrower feet than the 'norm'.

5. WEIGHT

Weight refers to two things:

The weight of the runner - if you are a heavy or bigger built runner then you may need a shoe with a lot of support

The weight of the shoe – generally, since you are going to be wearing your shoes for many kilometres, the lighter they are the better

6. SOCKS

When you are buying shoes try them on in the evening when your foot is slightly bigger and try them on with running socks. ASICS has a wide range of socks available, all specifically designed for running and vastly improve the feeling of comfort and support inside the shoe.

You can also purchase socks which have been custom designed to match with a particular shoe design, for example the GEL-KAYANO sock.